The present invention relates in general to apparatus for converting the flow of water into electrical power, and more particularly to apparatus for converting the flow of water into electrical power wherein such apparatus is carried by a floatable platform.
The water wheel has been used extensively for the generation of electric power. It has taken many forms including the current wheel in which water advances the lowermost vanes to rotate the wheel for the generation of power. Similarly, the undershot water wheel has the lower vanes advanced by the fall of water to rotate the wheel for the generation of power.
The use of barges and hulls for supporting power plants has been known. In the patent to Sherman Naymark, No. 3,752,738, there is disclosed a nuclear reactor plant floatable as a hull for transport from a place of construction to mooring at a site of ultimate use. In the patent to Panoff et al., No. 3,446,171, there is disclosed a marine nuclear plant having a containment vessel connected to the bottom of a ship. The patent to Kaltenecker, No. 3,262,411, discloses a process plant installed on a barge. The process plant can be erected on the barge in one location and then towed to another location where the barge becomes the foundation for the process plant.
In the patent to Harding, No. 559,798, there is disclosed a float. On the float is a mechanism that rises and falls with the movement of waves for generating power. The patent of Caloia, No. 2,848,189, discloses an apparatus for producing electric power from the action of water waves. The apparatus may be installed on a pier. The patent to Hopfe, No. 4,204,406, discloses apparatus for extracting hydrodynamic energy from ocean waves. The apparatus includes a floating platform.